This contribution presents the results achieved under the ESA contract Nr. 20847/07/NL/GLC. Purpose of this project was the realization of a high reliability redundancy switch for space applications. The main challenges of this project were related to the optimization of the switch performances and the identification of the most important failure modes in order to maximize its lifetime. During the first part of the project, several switch typologies were designed and tested, in order to select the most reliable candidates. Dielectric-less switches, in a clamped-clamped configuration where identified as the most promising devices, for both capacitive and ohmic typologies, since they can effectively minimize dielectric charging effects which turned out to be one of the most important failure modes for these devices. During the second phase of the project, a dedicated fabrication run within the FBK RF-MEMS technology was produced to fulfill the specific project requirements, which covered both the design and the fabrication of SPDT devices. In addition, SPST design, corresponding to the building blocks of the SPDTs, were included in the layout in order to study the reliability aspects of the elementary building blocks as well. This material was employed for a series of measurements aimed at testing the suitability for space applications. In particular, RF characterization and environmental testing were performed on the SPDT devices hermetically closed in a dedicated LTCC package, while the long-term actuation measurements, aimed at switch lifetime characterization, were performed on the single SPST units. The study of the long term behavior of the …